• Social media are one of the most important communication revolutions in human history.
  • The suspension of Trump’s Twitter account provoked strong reactions and a debate on freedom of speech on social media and on whether a regulatory framework was needed or not.
  • Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter has brought the freedom of speech debate to the fore once more in a very dynamic way.
  • At its peak, Donald Trump’s hate speech led to the attack on the Capitol, one of the most embarrassing moments in US history.
  • Social media are known to act as an echo chamber for polarization and promoting “us versus them” rhetoric.
  • The way the terrorist organization DAESH/ISIS uses the internet and social media has led to a dramatic increase, and increase in sophistication, in how both are now used by similar organizations, contributing substantially to the creation of a digital jihadisphere.
  • The pressure put on social media platforms has led to the adoption of measures to tackle hate speech and intolerance, the dissemination of propaganda, etc.
  • The new EU legislative initiatives, and in particular the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, are moving towards a strengthening of the regulatory framework.

Read here, in Greek, the Policy brief by Triandafyllos Karatrantos, ELIAMEP Research Fellow.